Clam digging devices



June 13, 1961 F. o. CARLBOM 2,987,836 7 CLAM DIGGING DEVICES Filed July 8, 1958 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 2,987,836 CLAM DIGGING DEVICES Fredric 0. Carlbom, 1913 N. Mason Ave., Tacoma, Wash. Filed July 8, 1958, Ser. No. 747,196 4 Claims. (Cl. 37-55) This invention relates generally to an improved digging device, and is particularly useful for the digging of Razor clams. The invention herein is illustratively described by reference to its presently preferred forms. However, it should be understood that certain changes and variations therein may be made without departing from the essential features involved.

An object of this invention is a clam digging device which has superior efiiciency to usual methods inexpensive of manufacture, ease of operation, lightness of weight, pleasing design, an improvement in existing digging devices and incorporating a new operating principle.

Another object of this device is that it may be operated by children, women, men of slight physique, and persons with/or using but one hand.

As another object, it will in one of its forms, remove the sand from around the clam without cutting or crushing the bivalve. In another form, it goes down underneath the clam and sifts it up from its imbedded position to the surface.

This digging device may also be used for agricultural purposes in transplanting, digging post holes, and in other applications where it is advantageous to use a clam bucket type digging device wherein there are no central obstructions.

These and other features, objects and advantages of the invention will become more fully evident from the following description by reference to the accompanying drawmgs.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the improved digging device in one of its forms shown in the open position.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the same form as shown in FIGURE 1 but in a closed position.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of another form of the improved digging device.

Referring to FIGURES 1, 2, and 3, the upper cross bar 1 is the handle by which the device is carried and operated. It is rigidly attached to pushrods 2 which are in turn attached at the hinges 3a of two movable vane members 3. These members 3 are the actual digging members. The lower cross bar 4 is rigidly attached to deflectible rods 5 which are in turn hinged at 3c to the top edges of members 3. These top edges are pivot points. Pushrods 2 slide up and down through guides 4a which keep them in vertical alignment when the device is being operated. The uppermost edge of guides 40 also stops the upper cross bar 1 at the proper position to orient the digging members 3 in vertical alignment in the open digging position. (See FIGURE 1). Movable digging members 3 are shown in the form in FIGURES 1 and 2 are made of sheet iron or other material of extreme thinness and of structural strength and are cut out or relieved at 3b making an opening when the device is in the closed position as illustrated in FIGURE 2. Movable members 3 are made with bottom panels of widely spaced parallel bars of structural strength illustrated in the form shown in FIGURE 3.

Patented June 13, 1961 "ice The two vertical and parallel hinged digging members 3 as illustrated in FIGURE 1 are simultaneously pressed perpendicularly into the sand on both sides of the clam hole by exerting pressure on cross bar 1. When the members 3 are near or below the clam the digging members 3 are rotated together at edges 3b, as illustrated in FIGURE 2, when the cross bar 1 is lifted. Cross bar 1 is attached to hinges 3a through pushrods 2 and raises hinges 3a while pivot points 30 remain stationary. This interaction of the various elements forms a platform or basket of digging members 3, which either removes the sand from around the clam or sifts the clam up from its imbedded position to the surface, depending on which of the two illustrated forms in FIGURES l, and 2, or in FIGURE 3, is used. The principle of operation is dependent on extended and flexible rods 5 being rigidly attached to cross bar 4. Extended rods 5 are deflected when the device closes, said rods do not take a permanent bend, but rather flex, and return to their original orientation in the open position, due to the spring action of said extended rods. The extended nature of pushrods 2 and flexible rods 5 also remove all central obstructions from the vicinity of the digging members 3.

I claim as my invention:

1. A digging device comprising a horizontal top cross bar rigidly attached at its extremities to the upper ends of two rigid vertical extended pushrods slideably raised and lowered through guides in a lower cross arm, said extended and rigid pushrods at their lower ends being actuators at the hinges of two opposite halves of clam bucket type members, the lower cross arm being rigidly attached to the upper ends of extended and deflectible rods, the opposite ends being flexibly attached to the aforesaid digging members, thereby forming pivot points.

2. The digging device defined in claim 1, wherein the device further comprises platform shaped digging members relieved at their cutting or digging edges so that said edges are substantially separated when the digging members are in the closed position.

3. The digging device defined in claim 1, wherein the device further comprises basket shaped digging members having bottom panels of widely spaced parallel bars.

4. The digging device as defined in claim 1, wherein the device further comprises the orientation of the digging members in vertical alignment in the open position by the abutting of the top cross bar against the guides of the lower cross arm, by means of the tensile elasticity of the deflectible rods attached to the lower cross arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 102,049 Scanlan Apr. 19, 1870 652,077 Burson June 19, 1900 786,663 McCoy Apr. 4, 1905 1,187,316 I-Iigby June 13, 1916 1,253,731 Sears Ian. 15, 1918 2,230,498 Loos et al. Feb. 4, 1941 2,715,787 Williams Aug. 23, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,137,258 France Jan. 14, 1957 

